Agonimia pacifica
≡*Agonimiella pacifica H.Harada, Nova Hedwigia 57 (3–4): 503 (1993).
Description : Thallus squamulose, usually of densely aggregated squamules and appearing almost subcrustose, to ±scattered, loosely or tightly attached to substratum, to 5 cm diam. Prothallus whitish, thin, indistinct. Lobes radiately or irregularly branched or dissected, to 0.05 mm wide, adnate or slightly ascending, discrete or contiguous. Upper surface pale- to dark-green, tinged brownish, matt, smooth, plane to convex. Lower surface pale greenish or whitish, with whitish rhizohyphae. Perithecia common, scattered, upper parts exposed, below clothed with squamules, spherical at first becoming ovoid or obpyriform (0.2–)0.4–0.8(–1.0) mm tall and 0.2–0.4 mm wide, grey or blackish or ±brownish, dull or glossy. Exciple smooth, very dark-brown to black in outer parts, very dark-brown to hyaline in inner parts, 30–50 μm thick at sides. Periphyses simple, 50 μm long and 2.5 μm diam. Hypothecium concave above, to 25 μm thick at centre. Hymenial algae absent. Hymenium I+ faint blue. Asci clavate, 125–250 × 25–40 μm. Ascospores 1–4 per ascus, hyaline, strongly muriform, thin-walled, ellipsoidal, oval to subfusiform, 45–230 × (15–)22–35 μm.
N: Northland (Te Mika). Lichenicolous on Pseudocyphellaria coriacea. First collected by the late John Bartlett, 6.ii.1981 (BM). Recorded by Kondratyuk & Galloway (1995a: 340) as Agonimia sp. Elsewhere in its range the species grown on either bark or rock (Harada 1993c: 504). Known from Japan (Harada 1993c), Korea (Moon 1999), Papua New Guinea (Aptroot et al. 1997) and Brazil and Taiwan (Aptroot 2002e, 2003a).
Western Pacific
Illustrations : Harada (1993c: 505, fig. 1A–C; 506, fig. 2A–D; 507, fig. 3A,B, fig. 4A–D; 508, fig. 5A–I; 509, fig. 6A–D – as Agonimiella pacifica).
* Agonimia pacifica is characterised by: the lichenicolous habit; the very small, squamulose thallus; exposed blackish perithecia; very large, strongly muriform ascospores; and an absence of hymenial algae. It is still very poorly collected and understood in New Zealand.
